Background

In 2001 a report entitled Duty to Care highlighted some alarming statistics on the physical health of people with mental illness.
From this report, research showed that people with mental illness in Western Australia are:

2.5 times more likely to die from a physical illness than the general population

43 per cent of WA people with a diagnosable mental illness smoke, compared with 24 per cent of those who do not have a mental illness

more likely to experience nutritional deficiencies, obesity and diabetes

more likely to engage in high risk behaviour such as smoking, alcohol or drug abuse

less likely to engage in health-promoting activities such as good diet and exercise

Purpose

The HealthRight Project 2006-2009 was developed to address the health inequities for people with mental illness in Western Australia, via multilevel strategies to engage them in visiting their General Practitioner (GP) and address lifestyle risk factors.